After announcing his retirement from the NFL and the New Orleans Saints, Drew Brees writes an open letter exclusively published in The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate, thanking Saints fans, the Bensons, Sean Payton, and his teammates, for an incredible career.
To the fans:
Words cannot express the love and appreciation I have for you. From the moment I stepped foot into the city of New Orleans, I could feel your spirit. You told me that if I loved New Orleans, you would love me back. No truer words have ever been spoken. You embraced me as your QB, and my family as your own. You made me strive to be the best I could be for you. When I was knocked down, you picked me up. It was your passion, emotion, and resilience that made us all believe. I will spend the rest of my life attempting to give back to you what you have given to me. My family and I will always love you.
To Gayle Benson and the late Tom Benson:
Ms Gayle... you are one of the most kind, generous, and extraordinary people we know.
Thank you for your love and grace, guidance and leadership. I still miss my visits with Mr. Benson and his grandfatherly advice.
To Coaches and Teammates:
To build a great team means finding men of great character, toughness, intelligence, and a fierce love for the game. But most importantly, the really successful teams in any arena are the ones who love each other the most…Sean and Mickey... thank you for building a culture where we could experience this type of love and commitment. It is not common, but rather very unique and very special.
To read Drew Brees’ full letter in the Times-Picayune | New Orleans Advocate click here.
